Adam Horálek

Responding to the momentous challenges of social upheavals, the 8th international symposium ‘Why the World Needs Anthropologists’ will be dedicated to the transdisciplinary discussion of the qualities of engaged anthropology and its significance for historical, present and emerging social movements. The 2020 symposium subtitled ‘Mobilizing People’ will explore the cultures of change-making in the context of the environmental movement, the feminist movement, housing and mobility justice. From a theoretical perspective, the event aims to contribute to the development of new theoretical frameworks and studies of social movements. Emerging out of the intersections of critically-oriented academia and human-centred design, ‘Mobilizing People’ will furthermore provide an international cross-road space for collective analysis, social learning and transformative co-creation. To inspire anthropology and anthropologists to inform change for the better, the researchers will meet with leading figures in change-making to actively contribute to the advancement of social movements. From a practical perspective, the action-oriented aim of the three-day event, which is designed for 350 participants of diverse professional backgrounds, is to amplify the impact of anthropologists in both academic and non-academic spaces in Central and Eastern Europe.